Arrested Development: "Off the Hook "Review

Note: With all of Arrested Development's new season released simultaneously on Netflix, we're running a new episode review each weekday until we've gone through all 15 episodes. You can find previously posted reviews on IGN's Arrested Development: Season 4 page. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that, aside from the premiere episode, I'm writing all of these episode reviews after I've seen the entire new season.

While it was difficult coordinating schedules for most of the Arrested Development cast to return, Tony Hale was a particular challenge, thanks to Veep shooting on the east coast. That being the case, Buster was one of the least seen or heard Bluth members in Season 4 (his time at Milford paid off!). But, at last, with the penultimate episode, he got his time in the spotlight.

It was worth the wait too, as the always delightfully odd Buster was as, well, delightfully odd as ever. Buster, of course, is the ultimate mother’s boy and this episode was all about him seeking a mother figure to cling to – whether it be Lucille, Lucille 2 or Ophelia Love (Garcelle Beauvais).

One of the episode’s best sequences came early, as Buster went to his craziest and creepiest place yet, left all by himself, with Lucille arrested. Making a life size Lucille to interact with, making drinks for her despite her absence and sewing in the nude (!) was all wonderfully twisted – and rather than have the Narrator just point out the obvious about who Buster was resembling, as occurred sometimes this season, it was used for a great joke: “It looked a little like that Vince Vaughn movie, Psycho.” And there’s a nice extra layer to that joke if you recall that the ill-conceived Psycho remake was produced by… Imagine Entertainment.

This episode actually had the most meta joke of the entire season, when the Narrator warned about skipping back too far and winding up “in the middle of the Maeby episode.” It was a nice touch, especially since it wasn’t done so much (or so directly) to wear out its welcome.

Buster’s story took some pretty dark turns, which worked because he’s a pretty friendly guy, even though he's got so many issues. Besides the Norman Bates homage, we also got Buster working as a military drone operator. And while the real world consequences and debate over such a thing is severe, it worked in the AD world simply because it was Buster being Buster, blissfully unaware of what he was doing.

The weakest part of the episode involved Buster’s time being tested by the military in the wake of getting his new hand. The jokes just didn’t land all that much and felt a bit lazy in places. Though it did have one gem, in connection with Buster’s inability to work a remote: “I hope this guy likes the musical acts on Saturday Night Live, because he’s going to be watching a lot of them.”

Poised, caring, beautiful and age-appropriate, Ophelia was certainly a healthier match for Buster than is typical; that pesky “she’s married” thing aside. But even them hooking up was on the heels of Buster being his typical dotting son self to her; made even funnier by her assuming he was flirting, because why else would he sing through the door to her while she was taking a bath?

That was a doomed relationship, alas, and in one more very AD touch, we even got a joke that implied Buster masturbated, unwittingly, to Lindsay when we were told he “availed himself” to a photo of Herbert and “the prostitute.” So yes, things have gotten weird with Lindsay and all of her brothers now, in true Bluth fashion.

I will say that re-watching these episodes, it’s hard not to notice more of the green screen moments or other tricks used to have characters in a scene together when the actors weren’t available at the same time to actually work together. I became quite distracted re-watching Buster and Lucille speak at the Cinco festival, as it became clear Tony Hale and Liza Minnelli were not together but shot separately and speaking their lines to a double (the woman doubling Minnelli really doesn’t match up with her very well, even though she’s shot from behind and to the side). It also looked like Buster and Michael speaking to each other at the beginning of the episode, when Lucille is hauled off to prison, was another green screen shot. Again, it was part of the deal of making these episodes, given these actors’ other commitments… but it’s pretty weird.

Overall though, Buster’s installment was a really fun one; the kind of fun only a creepy, mother-obsessed, giant-handed guy can bring. Plus, Lucille 2’s body seemingly vanishing after Buster finds it is an odd but intriguing bit to add to the mystery of her “murder” (I don’t believe she’s really dead, do you?).

Lastly, Buster’s oh-so happy dancing to George Michael’s Fakeblock App was another highlight. And great job by Tony Hale, going for it completely, per usual.